Amazing Eagles: NC 2-0 in 14-5A after winning 1 of previous 30 in district

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In one of the more staggering turnarounds in Montgomery County high school sports history, the New Caney boys varsity basketball team has transformed itself from perennial cellar-dwellar to budding 14-5A power in just one season.

The Eagles, who went 5-25 last year and 6-24 and 7-17 the previous two seasons, went a combined 18-66 over a three-year span heading into the 2009-2010 campaign. That’s 18 wins in 84 games or a winning percentage of just over 20 percent.

Enter first-year head coach Jay Cantrell, who brought in a completely different style of playing the game, and now New Caney is 18-5 on the season and 2-0 in district, sitting atop the league standings with The Woodlands.

Last season New Caney lost to eventual undefeated district champion College Park 68-32 and 69-33 in league play, suffering a pair of 36-point whippings. On Tuesday night, the Eagles turned the tables on the Cavaliers, delivering a 78-59 beating on the visiting squad. NCHS has opened league play with a pair of wins over two playoff teams from a year ago, with the squad beating Lufkin to open 14-5A play last week.

The two district wins are more than New Caney totalled in the past two seasons, going 0-10 last year in 14-5A and 1-13 in a 4A district the previous season. The team lost its final six district games the year before that, meaning coming into this season New Caney had gone 1-29 in its last 30 league contests.

“I can’t say its the biggest win the program has ever had,” Cantrell said about Tuesday’s win over College Park. “I’ve only been here this year. But I can say it’s our biggest win this year. Now, we’ve got to learn from that one and move on to the next one.”

The humble Cantrell just might have helped the Eagles deliver their biggest win ever. In doing research on the team, Cantrell said the 1996 team that featured current pro baseball star Adam Dunn may have been the only boys hoops playoff team in school history. That squad lost it’s bi-district game, meaning that the Eagles may have never won a boys basketball playoff contest.

“It was definitely a big win for us,” Cantrell said. “We tried to enjoy that one up until we started athletics today. We’re going back to work. Two wins is not going to get you in the playoffs. That is where we have our sights set.”

College Park coach Clifton McNeely was impressed with the Eagles.

“They shot lights out,” he said. “They were 9 of 15 from the 3-point line in the first half and it wasn’t as if they were uncontested. They were knocking down shots all over the place. They’re an extremely aggressive and hungry team. He has done a tremendous job motivating his kids and getting them to play well.

“…In some ways they play unorthodox and in other ways it’s very modern. A lot of kids get playing time and it keeps all those kids excited. His preseason schedule gave them a lot of confidence and he did a good job of challenging them here and there. My hat’s off to them. I would definitely say without a doubt he is the coach of the year for the incredible turnaround his program has had. You have to respect that.”

Cantrell came to New Caney from Class 3A Brownfield, where he led that squad into the playoffs several times. He has brought a new look to the Eagles, with the squad subbing in five new players just about every minute of the 32-minute games.

“We’re playing to our strength,” Cantrell said. “We feel like our best offense is our defense. We’re trying to score in transition, taking the first available look. We’re looking to shoot the 3 when it opens up, then we press the glass and try to get another shot if we miss. Ultimately our offense comes from getting other teams to play faster.”

New Caney averages over 10 made 3-point shots per game and hit 13 in Tuesday’s win over College Park.

“The biggest part of it is the kids have truly bought into what we’re doing,” he said. “If you have doubts, then I don’t care what the game plan is, you’re not going to perform as well. There’s not a lot of thinking out on the floor. We’re just playing basketball. It frees the kids up to react rather than think.

“We don’t talk about shooting percentage. Some nights it’s great and some nights it can hurt you. I will yell at a kid to shoot the ball more than for shooting a shot I don’t agree with.”

Cantrell also has moved the team bench from the sideline to behind the basket, giving him a different look at the court.

“We’re not trying to do something to hurt the other team’s program,” Cantrell said. “If they want their bench on the sideline I will do that for them. We also don’t do it in someone else’s gym. I just like the angles when I watch the game.”

Cantrell attributes some of this season’s success to experience from last year combined with a few new additions to the team.

“We have a lot of experience back from the team that went 0-10 in district last year,” he said. “They learned a lot from that. That’s the biggest piece of the puzzle. We also added my two sons (Joe and AJ). Joe was a two-year varsity player at Brownfield and is used to playing 4A and 5A competition. AJ has had to go through some learning this year. But adding those two guys helps, too.”

Cantrell said New Caney’s new style of play can be difficult for opponents.

“When teams get down they don’t have the ability to go into something they’re comfortable with,” he said. “I haven’t seen many teams do what we do.”

This year’s team has an interesting link to that 1996 playoff team. One of the Eagles’ starters, Tyler Castleberry, is the son of former NCHS head coach Scott Castleberry, who led that team to the playoffs. Scott Castleberry still works for the district, as a principal at another campus. Should this year’s group of Eagles make the playoffs, a Castleberry will have played a part in both successes.

Castleberry has led the Eagles in scoring since Christmas, averaging about 8.5 points per game. New Caney doesn’t have a double-digit average scorer, though the team has someone capable of going off for double-digits on any given night. Most of the players average between four and eight points per game and all 12 on the team see playing time.

Castleberry is on the floor to start the game with the Cantrell brothers, as well as Tracy Wade and Jesse Bryant. A minute into the game Jacob Rios, Seth Arnold (2009 state champion pole vaulter in track and field) Josh Rios and William Palmer enter the game. Before the contest is over Justyn Nunez, Jake Strother and Reed Thomas also see time in the floor.

New Caney is now preparing for one of the preseason league favorites, Oak Ridge. The War Eagles are 1-1 in district after Tuesday’s loss at The Woodlands. ORHS hosts New Caney Friday at 7 p.m.

“It’s going to be another tough district ball game,” Cantrell said. “The team that wins is the one that is playing best that night. I don’t look at anybody in our district as a team you can automatically get two wins over. You have to go out and perform every night. And you also have to hope luck is on your side as well.”

ORHS head coach Rob Stewart said the Eagles definitely pose a challenge.

“They’re pretty crazy to get ready for,” he said. “He came in there and has done a good job of giving other people different problems than just matching up with personnel. One thing people are forgetting is the nucleus of this team under last year’s coach Andrew Storms was getting bettter and better. In my opinion their junior class is their best class. He’s come in there and has thrown a monkey wrench in there. It’s difficult to scout and play them.”

Stewart said playing New Caney at home should be a positive.

“One of things that’s good for us their band wont be in stands and we won’t be sitting on end lines,” Stewart said. “Maybe that will give us a little homecourt advantage. Still it will come down to keeping them from scoring and getting easy baskets in transition. They’ve shot 200 more 3-point shots this year than 2-point shots. That’s almost unheard of. Hopefully it will be an exciting game.”

Stewart said Cantrell’s Eagles have given the New Caney community a sense of pride.

“You can tell the whole town is excited about New Caney basketball, as well they should be,” Stewart said.